Five Gryffindors
by tic tac toe 03
Summary: A year on from the battle Harry,Ron,Seamus,Dean and Neville gather in their old dormitory to talk over the year. It's been hard for all of them but as five friends they can get through anything. Oneshot. DH spoilers.


**Five Gryffindors **

**Disclaimer: **_**if I owned Harry Potter I wouldn't be worrying about my GCSE results that come out on Tuesday that may be the making of my future! **_

_**I always thought that Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean would be closer than they actually seem to be after all they share a room for the best part of six years. And I often think that Neville and especially Seamus and Dean are overlooked and so this fic came about. It also helped (I hope) to break the writer's block. Enjoy! **_

_**Tacxxx**_

No one of them wanted to be here. At the place which had given them so much joy for six years of their lives had now become a place of fearful memories for two of them and memories of the battle for all five of them.

Hogwarts was no longer a home, a school, a place of friendship and laughter. It was a place of death where all five of them had seen friends, family and strangers die. Where they had displayed their true Gryffindor colours of bravery and where they had won against Voldemort but at a terrible price.

And now a year later they were all back here for the first time for the memorial service. None of them had returned to school to complete their NEWTS but they had all been offered jobs anyway. Ron had gone into the joke shop with George, Neville had started working with Professor Sprout at the school, Dean had gone into the Ministry and Seamus and Harry had begun Auror training.

The night before the memorial service they had chosen to spend the night in their old dormitory. The second of May, the anniversary of the battle, had been made a national holiday and McGonagall had given the students the two days surrounding the battle off.

It was for this reason that their dormitory was free for them to spend the night in. The dormitory had changed, there were other people's clothes, books, scattered pieces of parchment, Zonkos and Weasleys joke products and Dean's West Ham posters no longer decorated the wall although there were still many Quidditch posters and too Ron's delight one boy supported the Chudley Cannons.

"I can't believe it's been a year." Dean broke the silence that hung between the five Gryffindors. The others nodded in agreement. It hadn't felt like a year.

For Dean it had been a year of grief for the loss of his friends, a year of reconciliation with his family who he had had to leave, a year of relief for not being on the run and being a wanted man.

For Neville it had been a year of grief for the number of losses, a year of discovering his new found courage, a year of relief for not having to lead the growing numbers of student rebels against Voldemort's reign.

For Seamus it had been a year of grief for the loss of friends and fellow students, a year of being pitied for the scars that still covered his face, a year of relief for not having to be beaten or undergo the cruciatus curse whenever he spoke out of turn.

For Harry it had been a year of grief for everyone he had known or not known and lost, a year of guilt for involving so many others in his defeat despite everyone telling him it wasn't his fault and there was no way that they would have let him go at it alone, a year of relief for not having to constantly watch his back for death and not having to lead everyone to defeat Voldemort and his followers.

For Ron it had been a year of grief for the people he had lost, a year of getting used to being the six Weasleys not the seven (he still hadn't gotten used to it), a year of relief for not being on the run, not wondering when he'd next see his family, when he's next get a proper meal.

"Do you think it'll ever be the same again?" Neville asked taking a chocolate frog that Harry offered him.

"No." Seamus answered honestly. "But I think it'll get better."

"It kind of has to doesn't it?" Ron agreed. "Everything's slowly going back to normal and we're all kind of moving on." He used the words _kind of_ loosely. Most people were slowly moving on and had stopped crying at every little reminder but he wasn't the only one who still had nightmares and he was sure the Weasley household wasn't the only one which didn't laugh as often.

A comfortable silence fell between them again which was broken a few minutes later by Harry. "What was it like being here last year?" He asked Seamus and Neville who looked slightly taken back by the question. "Sorry." He apologised as an afterthought. "But you guys all know everything that happened with us." He motioned to himself and Ron. "And Ginny doesn't know much."

"It's all right mate." Neville interrupted Harry before he could continue with his uncomfortable rambling. "We don't mind it's just the question caught us by surprise." He paused deciding on how to start. "It was fine at first, unless you were in the Carrows lessons when they fed you a load of shit about blood. And then we started to disagree they put us in detention and…" He paused uncomfortably and the others nodded showing that they understood what he was referring too.

"Although Seamus got a lot more of that." He added looking to his right and signalling that it was his turn to speak.

"I spoke out more than Neville did." The Irish eighteen year old admitted. "He was more for the behind the scenes, subtle rebellion; I guess the more sensible thing to do."

"Yeah but when have you ever done the sensible thing." Dean snorted causing the others to laugh at Seamus' expense although the mood in the room was lightened considerably.

"And when have you?" Seamus returned before carrying on his face darkening again. "I would talk back to them in lessons, refuse to do what they asked and antagonise the elder Slytherins who were a bit like Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. As well as giving me detention constantly they would grab me and drag me off to… you know." He shifted uncomfortably. "Regardless of how many people surrounded me even McGonagall couldn't do anything."

He stopped and shuddered not wanting to remember those days. Neville took over. "The other teachers did what they could to protect us but it wasn't a lot unless they wanted to be chucked into Azkaban or worse."

"And then on top of all that we had the worry about what you lot were up too." Seamus glared at the other three. "Do you know how empty this room is with only two in it? Do you know how worried we were?" He turned to look at Dean. "At least we knew that those three were ok we'd know if they'd been killed or captured. We had no idea about you."

"Sorry." Dean muttered looking at the floor and refusing to meet the others eyes. "But it wasn't as though I had a choice."

"And so eventually we retreated to the room of requirement." Neville finished up. "And waited there for you two and Hermione so we could be of help."

"I told you that you weren't expected to do the whole thing alone." Ron told Harry smugly.

"I know that now." Harry nodded. "But it did seem like I was supposed to do it alone especially when so many people had to die."

A sombre silence fell over the dorm again as they remembered the memorial service that would be taking place in ten hours time. "I guess we should get some sleep." Dean eventually said. "Tomorrow's not going to be easy." The others agreed and Ron clicked the deluminator and the ball of light whizzed into the device.

Dean had been right the five teens had awoken early but each of them had lain awake silently until an hour before the memorial service was due to start. Then they had silently got ready for the memorial dressing in their smartest black robes before heading down to breakfast to join the rest.

Once they had reached the hall they had separated off with a mutters of seeing each other at the service. Neville joined his grandmother, Luna and her father and Dean and Seamus joined his mother. Harry and Ron joined Hermione and the Weasleys.

They had been the only ones out of these people to stay the night at Hogwarts even Hermione and Ginny had stayed the night at the Burrow returning from their seventh year for a night only to breakfast at school anyway.

McGonagall had opened up the school for breakfast for people before the service and like at the end of the battle no one was sitting according to house any more although the Weasleys were gathered at one end of the Gryffindor table; old habits die hard.

"Sleep well?" Molly Weasley asked as Ron and Harry approached the group of people who were painfully missing one redheaded brother. They both shrugged not wanting to admit that they had drifted of late and awoken early.

"Ok." Ron shrugged slipping into the gap between Hermione and Charlie and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

She scrutinised them both and took in the dark circles under their eyes and the look in their eyes that was reminiscent of the look in the months following the battle. But she thought better of saying anything; they won't the only ones who were looking awful.

Eventually people stopped pushing their food around their plates and by a mutual consent they all rose and made their way outside to where the memorial was being held. It was, many of them noticed with a pang, the same place as where Dumbledore's funeral had taken place.

As usual the Weasley siblings followed their parents into a row in age order although they were interspersed by the adopted family members. Bill sat next to his mother with Fleur on his other side. Charlie, Percy and George followed with Ron beside George and Hermione on his other side. Harry sat next to Hermione and Ginny was on the end of the row something she wasn't too pleased about but she realised that it was better her than Harry.

Neville and his grandmother sat directly behind Ron and Hermione with Luna and her father to their left and Andromeda and Teddy to their right. The sight of the orphaned baby brought a pang to many of the gathered mourners as he continued to wail.

Dean, Seamus and his mother sat in the row across from the Weasleys in the same row as the former Gryffindor Quidditch team and their families a few of whom had arrived at the battle in the second wave with Charlie Weasley and Slughorn.

Once the last person had taken their seat Kingsley, Minister for Magic, began to speak as he spoke of the bravery of those who had fought and of the courage of those who had lost their lives. He then went onto to talk of how the year had played out, reassuring people that the Ministry was doing every as quickly as possible to return the British Wizarding World back to normal.

Seamus caught Harry's eye and knew that they were both remembering the several missions they had been on to capture the remaining Death Eaters who were on the run. As well as getting over everything from the past few years they hadn't had the easiest months at work. Not everyone thought that they deserved a position however low it may be.

And then Kingsley went onto to make comments that Harry had always associated with Dumbledore. "Even though we have lost many of whom we have loved we must try to move on with our lives to live them like they would have wanted. Those who have left us have never truly left us. They are with us in our memories and in our hearts."

Dean looked to his side to see Seamus biting his lip to stop himself from crying as a list of names was read out. As a trickle of blood ran down his chin as a result of the struggle he gave in to the tears. Neville was unashamedly crying and Luna was grasping his hand firmly as she too sobbed.

But it was the sight of the people in the row across from him that made Dean really choke up. If he was honest with himself it didn't surprise him after all they had lost the most and for three of them been through more than they ever thought possible. Dean suspected that there were parts of the previous year that no one, aside from Harry, Hermione and Ron, would ever know.

Mrs Weasley had her head buried in her husband's chest her shoulder's shaking. Bill was shaking with the effort to stay calm and his hand was gripping Fleur's tightly as tears slipped gracefully down her face.

Charlie had his arm around Percy's shoulder and they were both sobbing as they sought comfort from each other. George was bent over his head in his hands tears pouring down his face. Ron had his arms around Hermione who was clutching Harry's hand. Ginny had her head pressed into his shoulder and all four of them were crying.

The wail of Teddy punctured the air as the names of his mother and father were read out and at that Dean lost it remembering the time spent with Teddy's grandfather. He was right this had been a hard day.

At the end of the memorial the crowds started down to Hogsmeade to disapparate or up to the castle to floo. "Ron." Harry hissed as he noticed Seamus, Dean and Neville standing off to one side as he and Ron made to follow their family down to Hogsmeade.

Ron nodded to Harry as he understood what his best friend was referring to. "Mum." He called down to where his mother and father were leading the party. His mother stopped, as did the rest of the family, but said nothing. "Harry and I will catch you up." He told her. "We just have to speak to a few people." He nodded in the direction of his former roommates.

"Ok." Molly agreed. "But don't be long." Ron smiled at her and moved forwards to hug her before kissing Hermione's cheek and turning on his heel to meet up with his friends followed by Harry.

"Hey." Harry called lowly as they neared them. The five of them stood silently together before they hugged each other tightly but quickly in a way that only males can do, involving many slaps on the back.

"We'll meet up again in a few days yeah." Seamus seemed keen to get assurance of this despite the fact that they always met up at least once a month.

"Yeah." Neville agreed. "The Leaky Cauldron ok?"

"Just because you want to ogle Hannah Abbott." Ron snorted as the others laughed as Neville blushed. They stood there remembering the laughs that they had shared together and they were all certain that, despite the miserable circumstances, they would share many more.

_**Thanks for reading and sorry for any mistakes- I'm not great at proof reading. Let me know if you spot any. **_

_**Tacxxx **_


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